Currency and stamp box



UNITED STATES PATENT OrrIcI-r.

LEVI L. TOWER, OF CAMBRIDGEPORT, MASSACHUSETTS.

CURRENCY AND STAMP BOX.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,184, dated July '7,1863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEVI L. TOWER, of Cambridgeport, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful orImproved Currency and Stamp Box; and I do hereby declare the same to befully described in the following specification and represented in theaccompa-nyin g drawings, making part thereof.

Figure l is a top view of my said box as it appears with its coverturned backward. Fig. 2 is a vertical and transverse section of thesame. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal and vertical section of one the retainersor stamp-holders, to be hereinafter described.

In carrying out my invention I construct a box of a rectangular or otherdesirable form, and make the same of tiu or other suitable Inetal ormaterial, and hinge the cover and the body portions together in theordinary manner.

In the drawings, A denotes the body portion, and B the cover, of my saidbox. Vithin the said body portion I arrange a series ot' verticalpartitions, a a, 85e., which divide the said part into the number ofapartments I desire to have.

C is the chamber or receptacle for containing bank-notes, while D isthat for holding small change, (cents.)

E E E 2 E3 denote a series of chambers for postal currency of thedifferent fractional parts of a dollar-viz., fty cents, twenty-fivecents, ten cents, and ve cents.

I is the sponge-chamber, which is to have a wet sponge within it, thesame being for the purpose of moistening the iin gers of a person inorder to enable him to more readily withdraw the bills from theirrespective apartments. The front portion or half of the bottom of eachof the chambers E E', &c., I make curved in longitudinal section, asseen in Fig. 2, such curvatureo terminating in the same horizontal planewith the top surfaces of the partitions a a., Ste., such top surfacesbeing disposed short distance-say about threeeighths of an inchbelow thesurfaces of the sides of the box in order to allow the cover, when itsretainers are filled with stamps, to shut down closely upon the bodyportion.

On the inner surface of the cover B, I dispose one or more series ofretainers, b b o c o d d, Sto., which are a series of curved springs,each of which is fastened at one of its ends to the cover by rivets orby solder, while its other end is free or slightly bears against thecover, as seen in Fig. 2. Each of these holders b b, &c., is intended toretain revenuestamps of different denominations and characters whenplaced under it, and some of them may also be used to holdpostage-stamps of different value. These stamps should be packed firmlytogether and placed, respectively, under the spring-holder intended toreceive them, andwith their faces upward, (when the box may be open,) sothat their value and character may be readily seen. Each of theseholders should be made of a metal capable of springing and accommodatingitself to the number of stamps that may be placed under it, and serve aswell to retain a single stamp in its proper place as if a dozen or morewere placed under it.

A box constructed in my improved manner, as described and represented,is an article of great utility and advantage to merchants and tradesmenof all classes, as the bills and stamps are not only arranged in a verycompact form, but can be easily either put into their receptacles orholders or taken therefrom, as circumstances may render necessary.

I do not claim simply making a box with partitions for dividing it intoseveral compartments for reception of articles of different kinds orcharacters; neither do I claim a note-holder,77 as made of a plate oftin or other metal, and having a series of overlapping iiaps arrangedupon it, as I am aware that such is not new; neither do I claim theinvention as shown and described in the patent granted to George K. Snowon the 21st day of October, A. D. 1862, as my invention differsessentially therefrom 5 but I claim- My combined stamp and currency box,having its parts A and B provided, respectively, with receptacles andretainers, constructed and arranged substantially in manner and for thepurposes set forth.

LEVI L. TOWER.

Vitnesses JOHN B. PRINCE, J. W. PRESTON.

